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Monthly Archives: June 2014

We first wrote about the Gumball 3000 rally when it came to Toronto back in 2012 and now seemed like a good time to revisit this incredible event since one of our own was competing in this year’s event. Earlier this month, Canadian native and house music superstar deadmau5 (Joel Thomas Zimmerman) along with driving partner Tory Belleci participated in this epic seven day exotic car rally. However, there is more to this story than just another rich celebrity having a laugh in an exotic car. Similar to the reality show format we are all so use to Zimmerman and Belleci were tailed by a camera crew who captured each phase of the insane 3,000 mile cross-continental course beginning in South Beach, Miami and finishing in the Spanish party island of Ibiza.

Zimmerman’s “Team Purrari” as they are called traveled the race course from Miami to Ibiza in his outrageous custom Ferrari 458 Spider. “It’s like the Marmite of cars,” he admits on camera. “You either love it, or you hate it, but there’s no, ‘Oh, it’s alright’.”

Team Purari’s Ferrari 458 Spider

Topping off their epic adventure as they crossed the finish line, Zimmerman and Belleci were awarded the coveted Spirit of the Gumball trophy by race founder Maximillion Cooper. The award speaks to the enthusiasm and extreme fun level the duo brought to this year’s marathon race.

So now the big question is what happens to all the footage from the race? Well, that’s the second cool thing as they have created a min-teaser video from the video. Even if you don’t like electronic music, this is a must-watch for car fans since it provides a very nice flavour of what this incredible race is all about.

Yesterday, Tesla Motors opened up all its patents to its competitors in an effort to accelerate the creation and adoption of electric vehicles around the world. As Tesla puts it:

Tesla Motors was created to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport. If we clear a path to the creation of compelling electric vehicles, but then lay intellectual property landmines behind us to inhibit others, we are acting in a manner contrary to that goal. Tesla will not initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use our technology.

Tesla has one of the most successful electric vehicles in the Model S and has raised the bar on what an electric vehicle should and can be. The Model S has a 300 mile range, far greater than any other mass produced electric vehicle on the market today. In addition, the vehicle can be charged faster than most other electric vehicles using Tesla’s Supercharger network.

Hundreds of patents are going to be released by Tesla including those related to their fast charging system. When asked what Tesla’s shareholders will think of the patent release Tesla CEO Elon Musk downplayed the importance of owning patents saying it was more important for a company to be innovating than pursuing lawsuits against other companies doing similar things.

The opening up of patents is new territory for an automobile company and we here at RedlineNorth hopes this does indeed lead to further acceleration of electric vehicle development and adoption.

Like this:

The all-new 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C made its highly anticipated Canadian debut at the 15th annual Crescent Street Grand Prix Festival, the official kick-off to this weekend’s Grand Prix du Canada in Montreal, June 5-8, 2014.

2015 Alfa Romeo 4C

The unveiling of the two-seat, mid-engine 4C, also marks the return of the storied Alfa Romeo brand to Canada. Inspired by the brand’s legendary racing history, the Italian-built coupe features a state-of-the-art carbon fibre monocoque, an all-aluminum turbocharged engine influenced by Formula 1 and advanced technological solutions that deliver supercar-level performance and driving exhilaration.

For its 15th anniversary, the popular Crescent Street Grand Prix Festival will have the all-new Alfa Romeo 4C as the event’s official automotive sponsor. Beginning Thursday at 11 AM, the Alfa Romeo Pit Stop challenge is an area where celebrities, athletes and the public can test their skills at a timed, tire-changing contest to see how they measure up to the top-level F1 pit crews.

“What better place to debut an all-new performance vehicle inspired by Alfa Romeo’s legendary racing history, than at a festival celebrating the largest motor sports event in Canada?,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO of Chrysler Canada. “With its purposeful design for maximum performance, the all-new 4C coupe is sure to be the talk of the Crescent Street Grand Prix Festival.”

For the Alfa Romeo brand, the all-new 4C represents the essential sportiness embedded within the brand’s DNA: Italian style, performance and technical excellence, for maximum driving pleasure in complete safety.

The Alfa Romeo 4C is inspired by the century-old traditions of Alfa Romeo and projects the brand’s authentic values. The “4C” name recalls Alfa Romeo’s great sporting tradition: the acronyms 8C and 6C in the 1930s and 1940s distinguished racing and road cars fitted with powerful eight and six cylinder engines. The 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C model’s designation continues this tradition with the latest, all-aluminum 1,750 cc turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

The very best technical and industrial expertise of the Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands were used to develop the all-new Alfa Romeo 4C. Teamwork between the two brands included the integration of the Alfa Romeo Style Center design with the well-known craftsmanship of the Maserati brand’s Modena production plant. In addition, the Alfa Romeo 4C was boosted by the technological contributions of Italian suppliers, who are international leaders in manufacturing high-performance components.This is a distinguishing trait of Alfa Romeo, a brand with a century of history that continues to be one of the most famous and popular ambassadors of Italian products around the world.